carry forward

British  

verb

1. accounting to transfer (a balance) to the next page, column, etc

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): carry over.  tax accounting to apply (a legally permitted credit, esp an operating loss) to the taxable income of following years to ease the overall tax burden

---

noun

1. Also called: carry-over.  tax accounting an amount carried forward

carry forward Idioms  

1. Also, carry over . Transfer a bookkeeping entry to the next column, page, another account, or the next accounting period, as in Let's carry forward this loss to the next quarter for a saving in taxes , or She made an error in carrying over this column . The first term dates from the first half of the 1800s; the variant dates from the mid-1700s.

2. Make progress in, advance, as in His successor hoped to carry forward his work . Also see carry on .

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carry forward

Similarly, the group Our Revolution, which was founded as a way to carry forward the grassroots organizing behind Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, has thrown its organizing capacity behind Jackson’s candidacy.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Another multiyear situation to manage is any losses that can carry forward, like rental losses or capital losses.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026

And that seems to be what those behind Sundance most want to uphold and carry forward: a commitment to providing a spotlight for new voices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025

"I hope that my daughter's generation can continue to inherit, carry forward, and spread it so that more people can know about it," she added.

From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025

This was the message we needed to carry forward.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• carry over